The Immortal Life of Henrietta Locks

Can you imagine finding out that a family member, who died many years ago, was being used for science without your knowledge? Well that is exactly what happened to Henrietta Locks. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her permission. After she died in 1951, her cells were used as a tool for finding a cure for polio , cloning and more. Her cells have also been sold for billions of dollars, while her family continued to struggle financially.

The book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Locks was the high light of the show this evening, and Bev Smith talked to the author, Rebecca Skloot, about her experiences and sacrifices she made from writing this story.